Between the Lines of Love and Hate
by MeganBellaRoseBlack
Summary: After being released from SHU, Piper expects to return to the same drama filled prison she has grown to know and she isn't wrong. With the inmates in danger from an internal source and Alex doing a good job of keeping her on her toes, Piper is going to need to keep her wits about her and her guard high if she wants to reach the end of her sentence. Eventual Vauseman... Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Set after s1. I don't think there's anything else you really need to know! **

**Enjoy! **

x-x-x

Piper didn't think she'd ever been so happy to be let out of a fucking room. She didn't know how long she'd been in SHU but she was certain that Winter was now long gone. It was surreal not knowing what was going on in the outside world and even more surreal to now think of Litchfield as 'the outside world'. She supposed that she had better get used to Litchfield again, after all there was no doubt a hefty amount of time added to her sentence after her beating of Pennsatucky.

She wondered how Pennsatucky was. Just the thought of her summoned the sensation of bones crunching beneath her knuckles and she wondered if it would ever go away. She doubted it. No matter how often she'd asked, the guards refused to tell her if the younger woman was okay. If she was deformed, in psych, dead. She sometimes thought the not knowing was part of her punishment but she guessed that she should be punished further than her confinement.

But she didn't doubt that her punishment would continue for months to come. Vicious attacks weren't easily forgiven in Litchfield. There had been times when inmates had come back from SHU and been questioned so intensely by the other inmates that they'd lashed out and ended straight back there. Piper also feared the rumour mill. With little else to do but gossip, she was sure that her fellow inmates would have come up with countless outrageous stories about what she had supposedly done. How. Why.

As Bennett guided her through the doors and into Caputos office, Piper tried to brush of the eyes that were boring into her back. She could already hear the whispers starting up, but with her head held high she tried to ignore the endless repetition of her name. Clearly no one was expecting her back. Did that mean they weren't expecting her back _yet_ or not at all? She wasn't sure how much the inmates know about what had happened between her and Pennsatucky. If they did know the full story it would definitely be Pennsatuckys side and not entirely the truth. That's if the bible basher was back in the prison, of course.

"Chapman" her name grabbed her attention and she looked at Caputo sat behind his desk, moustache as paedophilic as ever. "Nice to have you back. I hope you're ready to be the model of a good inmate and keep your head down?" His question allowed no room for argument and Piper knew that this the one warning that she was going to get.

"Yes, Sir" she mumbles.

"Good to hear. I assume you know where everything is? You'll be able to sort yourself out?". Piper looks blank for a second. She'd assumed that she was going to be brought the various areas to collect clothing and shoes as she had been before but apparently not.

"Yes Sir" she says again. A flash of relief passed of Caputos face. He had a feeling that Chapman really did try to stay out of trouble but unfortunately, some people were just a magnet for no-good. He hoped that she managed to stay out of trouble this time around. He smiled briefly at the woman in front of him.

"Enjoy your stay then, Chapman" he said and then looks back to his computer screen and back to his intense game of Minesweeper. As Piper leaves the room past Bennett who had been stood like a guard in the doorway the entire time, Caputos eyes flicked back to her. She really was fucking hot. He hoped she wouldn't be sent back to SHU any time soon.

x-x-x

To her surprise, Piper was assigned a bed straight away. Ignoring the lecherous stares of Pornstache as he guided her through the Suburbs, Piper stood in the doorway of her new cubical. A part of her had hoped that she'd be put back in the Ghetto but she guessed that it only made sense to put her in the Subs – she was a nice white lady after all. Supposedly.

"Enjoy" was all Pornstache said as he made a vague gesture to Pipers new home and then made his way back to the bubble where his coffee was waiting for him. Piper looked around the corner, anxiety bubbling in her stomach slightly at the prospect of her new bunky. She could barely bite back her sigh of relief at the sight of Yoga Jones sat peacefully on her bed.

"Its' nice to see you again, Chapman" she in her long, drawn out voice, a smile on her face. Piper could almost physically feel a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Yoga Jones was a good woman and she was sure that she'd be a good bunky.

"You too, Jones. How are you?" she asked, putting her only possession – her toilet roll – down and trying not to get hung up on the loss of her books and other belongings. She assumed that they'd all been taken away when she'd gone to SHU but she figured that she'd never really know.

"I'm good" she drawled. "More importantly, how are you doing?" Piper wasn't sure how to answer. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure herself. Instead, she cocked one eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders as she sat down on her thin mattress.

"I'm doing" she offered. Yoga Jones gave her a friendly smile.

"It's going to take some time to adjust, but you'll get there Chapman. I know the girls will be happy to see you". Piper wasn't so sure about that. Her parting words with both Nicky and Alex left a lot to be desired but maybe things had changed. Or maybe not.

"Thanks, Jones" she said and offered the older woman a small smile. She knew that she was trying to be kind, but Piper didn't really feel like conversation at the moment. It was hard enough to try and adapt to the endless noise that surrounded her and the sight of actual human beings passing by as if nothing had changed, let alone try and hold a conversation. Jones, ever perceptive, let the conversation drop and returned to her book, happy to sit in a comfortable silence.

x-x-x

She didn't know how long she stared up at the ceiling but Piper allowed time to steadily pass her by, deep in her thoughts. At some point she became aware of Jones slipping out of their cubical with her towel over her arm but she chose to stay where she was. One thing was for sure; the beds seemed like luxury here.

"Holy shit, Chapman. Jones wasn't lying out of her zen ass"

_And so it begins _Piper thought to herself. Lifting her head, she looked at the woman casually leant against her cubical entrance, one arm slung over the white wall. Nope. She still hadn't touched a hairbrush.

"Nicky" Piper said, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth despite herself. With no invitation, Nicky was in the cubical and pushing Pipers feet aside so there was room for her on the bed. With her legs crossed, she looked Piper up and down, taking in the damage of SHU.

"Shit. SHU fucked you over good and proper. You look like crap" she said as she fiddled with the hem of her trousers and nodded her head as if to confirm her words to herself. Piper let out a small laugh and nodded with her. She knew that she'd lost weight in SHU but it was so typical of Nicky to point it out straight away.

"Thanks, Nichols"

"Anytime" she winked with her lopsided smile. "I've got your stuff, by the way. Kept it under my bed so the bible freaks didn't try and sacrifice your shit instead of you. You're books and all that crap. We have a library. Why does a person need so many goddamn books?" Relief washed over Piper and she felt pure gratitude towards Nicky. She didn't think in a million years that anyone would have taken the time to clear up her stuff and look after it for her, especially since they couldn't have been sure she was coming back. Space was scarce in here and to look after someone elses belongings was a generous move.

"Thanks, Nicky." She hoped how grateful was came through in her voice. Nicky just waved her away.

"I'll get it for you later. How was SHU? Hear any voices this time?" Piper shook her head and laughed slightly. She'd regretted telling Nicky about the voices that she'd heard last time she'd been released. Nicky had mocked her for weeks, hiding behind walls and doors trying to talk to her.

"Not this time. Just me" Piper shrugged.

"That's shit"

"Nichols. What the fuck are you doing over –" the question was abandoned as Alex Vause saw the company that Nicky was keeping. A bolt of electricity ran through Pipers body as she openly stared at the face of her ex-lover. Alex stared right back and said nothing. Piper wanted to say something, anything, but her mind had completely blanked at Alexs unexpected appearance. She was clearly taken aback but composed herself quickly and brushed away the shock of seeing Piper back. Her gaze turned to Nicky who was sat looking between the two with wide eyes and a gleeful smile on her face.

"I'll catch you later, Nicky" Alex said calmly and then walked away. Piper didn't know what to do. She'd seemed too cold, too calm. She wasn't sure what to say as she saw the grin that was still fixed on Nickys face. A moment of silence passed between the pair before Nicky broke it, delight and laughter in her voice.

"_Thaaaaat_ was awkward".

_Thoughts and comments are always appreciated…. _

_MBRB'xoxo_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all your kind words on this fic so far! I'm really glad you guys seem interested! Enjoy this chapter!**

**MBRB'xoxo**

x-x-x

Nicky soon seemed to grow bored with Piper. Making no excuses, she got up off of Pipers bed and lifted a hand in a mock salute.

"Well it's been lovely and all but I'm gonna shoot" she said, turning on her heels and leaving the cube. Piper couldn't help a small smile to herself. She had been worried that Nicky would be cold to her after the way they had parted but the girl that she had been talking to was the same old zany ass Nicky that she knew. But now that her company had departed, she wasn't really sure what to do with herself. She supposed she could take a shower but she didn't really fancy it. Besides, it was nearly dinner.

The thought of the canteen hall filled her with dread. She wasn't prepared for the endless stares and speculation that was bound to ricochet around the hall as she entered. But there was no way to avoid it and at some point everyone was going to know that Piper Chapman was back. After thinking about it for a while, she decided that it would be best to slip into the hall whilst it was busy and try and be as inconspicuous as possible. Not that that usually helped those that were returning from SHU, but it was worth a shot. Better that then make and entrance and come in alone after everyone had already settled.

Joining the stream of inmates that were making their way down the packed hallways to the canteen, Piper tried to keep her head down, focusing only on the thought of food that didn't need to have the mould removed to be edible. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by a slap on the back that nearly knocked her off her feet.

"Chapman! Good to see you back!" The cheerful face of Big Boo was before her Piper was about to reply but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nice to have you back, honey". The comforting voice of Sophia joined Boos and Piper looked at the two of them as they turned and walked away, joining the queue for food. She was struck by their lack of questions. With little else to talk about, she was sure that they would have want to have known what had gone down between herself and Pennsatucky. Maybe they already knew? Or maybe they didn't know that anything had happened between the women at all. But in that case, wouldn't they have wanted to know where she had been all this time? Piper didn't know what was going on, but something was very off. As she joined the queue, absolutely no attention was paid to her. No one gave her a second glance, no one asked her where she had been or why, even the bible freaks were happily ignoring her. Something was wrong.

As she was brought out of her thoughts by her tray being handed to her, Piper realised that there was more food in front of her then there should have been. Looking up questioningly, she noticed Red stood off to the side with her arms crossed, watching Piper closely. Cocking an eyebrow and indicating her tray slightly, Piper silently asked why. To her surprise, Red just gave her half a smile in return and waved her away, telling her to go and eat.

Turning, Piper made her way over to where Nicky was sat with her old crowd. Morello was deep in conversation with Yoga Jones and Sister Ingles. Nicky was sat next to Alex and was cracking some god awful joke that had Alex laughing through her full mouth. Piper stopped for a second and watched the scene. It was nice to see Alex laughing so carefreely after not seeing her for so long. And even before they had parted, Alex seldom let loose and had fun. Piper supposed that was all down to her really. She hadn't exactly been kind with her emotions.

Not knowing exactly where to sit, Piper took the seat opposite Nicky and looked down at her tray in silence.

"Alright, Chapman?" Nicky asked. Piper nodded and began to eat. Morello finished talking to the Sister and looked over to Piper with a wide smile.

"Chapman. Good to see you back. How'you doing?" she asked, shoving lasagne in her mouth. Piper nodded and gave a 'so-so' kind of shrug.

"I suppose it'll take time to readjust, but you'll get there" Sister Ingles said with one of her warm smiles.

"That's what Yoga Jones said" Piper told her. Jones nodded and smiled back. The peaceful woman worried about Piper. She was always getting into trouble but it never seemed to be her fault. She hoped that she would be able to find a new path soon and avoid any complications throughout the rest of her stay. There was a moment of silence over the table as no one really knew what to say. But it didn't last long. Alex quickly stood up from her seat and grabbed up her tray a little too quickly.

"I'm gonna get back to work" was all she offered as she threw the rest of her food in the bin, tossed her tray down and exited the canteen. The table seemed pretty shocked at her swift exit but didn't mention it, instead they continued to eat like nothing had happened which set Piper on edge. Leaning over to Nicky, Piper quietly asked;

"Was it something I did?" Nicky shook her head and shrugged, chewing down on a mouthful of food without any form of grace.

"Nahh. She's just a moody bitch. Don't worry about her" Nicky told her. Piper nodded, not quite satisfied with the answer but going back to her food none-the-less. "And anyway. She probably just doesn't want to see you". Nicky was still focused on her food as Piper looked up quickly. Her nonchalance was unsettling.

"What?"

"She's still super fucking pissed at you" Nicky shrugged again and took a huge bite of the stale bread provided with their meal. Piper was dumbfounded. Looking down the table at the others who had obviously been listening in, she didn't realise her mouth was hanging open slightly. All the women looked at her with 'what can we say?' expressions and Morello shrugged slightly. It seemed common knowledge that Alex was not in the best of moods with Piper and it made her wonder what had been said or gone on in the time that she had been away. Suddenly losing her appetite, Piper excused herself and began to leave the table in a daze. She had hoped that Alexs annoyance would have mellowed in the months that she had been away, but apparently not.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a body impacting full force with her own. The tray in Pipers hand was thrown to the floor, as was the tray of the other woman in front of her. Shocked, Piper let out a loud gasp and looked down at her front where the lasagne of the other girl now nicely decorated her uniform. Looking up, her arms spread out wide and her mouth hanging open, Piper looked into the face of Pennsatucky.

"Fuck" was the first thing Pennstucky said, eyes wide. Reaching up to pull her hood down, she looked up into Pipers face. "Shit, that weren't s'posed to happen. Look, mm sorry" she said, her hands up in front of her and her bodyweight being shifted from side to side in her nervous little way. Piper didn't know what to say. So Pennsatucky was back too. There was a line of stiches running from the corner of her eye to the side of her nose, cutting right across her cheek and her nose was definitely out of shape, but she was alive. And she was here. And she was alive and here apologising for running into Piper.

What the fuck.

"Look, I can wash that for you. I'm not working today but I can clean that. I'll clean that for you" she offered. Piper, still not knowing what the hell was going on, shook her head.

"Whadya do, Tiffany?" Leann asked her friend as she made her way over to what happened. Spotting the mess on the front of Pipers uniform, she looked between the two women and frowned. "What happened?". Pennsatucky punched Leann in the arm and narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"It was an accident, Leann! I didn mean to!" turning back to Piper again, Doggett raised her hands again, palms facing Piper. "I'm sorry, kay? I didn mean to." Clearly her speech hadn't improved since Piper had last seen her. Swaying on her feet a couple times more, Pennsatuckys eyes flicked over to the table Piper had just been sat at. Specifically to the seat that Alex had been sat at minutes before. Looking back to Piper and without saying anything else, Pennsatucky grabbed Leann by the arm and pulled her away, leaving her tray abandoned on the floor.

Piper looked over the mess on her front. She didn't have a change of clothes yet and these ones were completely unwearable.

Shit.

She was going to have to go and see Alex.

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Let me know what you think if you have a moment! Next chapter coming soon and I can promise lots of Alex goodness! _

_x_


	3. Chapter 3

With a sheepish look on her face, Piper made her way into the laundry room where she could hear Alex moving around and working. She knew that Alex had specifically told her to not come to her when it wasn't her laundry day, but there was nothing else that she could do. Alex didn't seem to notice her presence straight away and Piper stood in the doorway, watching her pick up a wash of uniforms and load them into one of the washing machines, swipe her hair away from her face with the back of her hand and sigh.

"Erm…Alex?" Piper asked, stepping further into the laundry room and resisting the urge to hide the mess on her front. Alex turned clearly not knowing who it was that was saying her name. That is until her eyes landed on Piper and she slumped a little, her hip stuck out to one side and her arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah?" she replied bluntly. Her eyes drifted down to the stain splattered over Pipers front and the blonde was sure that she saw her ex's lip quirk slightly at the state of her but her expression quickly returned to impassive yet mildly irked.

"I really wouldn't ask if I weren't desperate but I was wondering if you'd be able to slip my top in with the washing" Alex looked like she was about to say something but Piper carried straight on. "I only got back today and all they've given me are these" she pulled at her kahki uniform top "and I don't know what's really happened but they said I wouldn't be able to get anything else until tomorrow. I don't even have any white shirts or anything and that bitch Pennsatucky ran into me and spilt her food all down me. I really need your help, Alex. I wouldn't ask otherwise. I know you told me to stay away from you but you're the only person I know on laundry and, I mean, look at me". Piper knew that she was babbling but she didn't know what else to do – Alex was looking so unimpressed in front of her and she _really_ needed her top cleaned. She had absolutely nothing else to wear and she sure as hell couldn't go around in the state she was in now.

"Hand it over" was all Alex said, her hand held out. Piper was taken aback by her words and stood looking at her blankly for a moment. Alex wriggled her fingers and widened her eyes as if to tell her to hurry it up. "If it'll shut you up, then just hand it over." Looking behind her for a second to make sure that no one was coming in, Piper stripped off her top and stood awkwardly in her plain white prison bra. Her arms crossed over her body, she fidgeted and shifted her weight but Alex was paying no attention. Instead, she shoved the top in with the other dirty load and then fussed about putting the machine on. Piper didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't very well go back up to her bunk in just her bra and she was pretty sure that she wasn't supposed to be down here. Memories of the last time she'd been down here for a long period of time came back to her. The face of Alex Vause stuck behind the glass door looking so lost and helpless was one that she was not going to be forgetting easily or any time soon. They had managed to avoid too much trouble that time, but Piper was pretty sure that being caught in her underwear down here was not going to be an easily explainable situation.

"You can sit over there until it's done if you don't say a fucking word. No one will see you if they come down" Alex, with her back still to Piper, motioned to a machine tucked out of the way as she began to fold shirts. Piper nodded and mumbled a thanks as she made her way over to the machine and sat on top of it in the shadows. As she watched Alex, she noticed how at home she seemed here. Not necessarily a happy home perhaps, but at home none-the-less. She knew exactly what she was doing and the speed at which she folded the shirts made Piper raise an eyebrow. Never did she think she'd sit and watch Alex Vause, who would rather buy new underwear than bother to get it washed, folding shirts so precisely and so quickly.

Time seemed to drag and by the time Alex had folded two lots of washing, the awkward atmosphere had dissolved slightly and Piper swung her legs back and forth on the machine rhythmically. It wasn't long before she was taking a deep breath, pausing, and then deciding that she was indeed going to go ahead and speak.

"So I don't really get what happened earlier. I thought that everyone was going to be talking about the fact I'm back but no one even seemed to care." She watched Alex closely to see what reaction her speaking would get. Alex didn't say anything, she only cocked an eyebrow slightly and carried on folding. "You know, it's weird. Big Boo and Sophia came and said 'hi' and then Red gave me extra food which I really didn't expect but was kinda nice of her. And then Pennsatucky " - she saw Alex roll her eyes and sigh slightly – "walked straight into me and spilt her fucking food down me. That's why I was covered in it. But you know, she didn't go ape shit or anything. It was really weird. She started saying she was sorry and she'd clean my top for me". Piper paused. Alex said nothing. Piper took another breath. "But you know, I wouldn't want her near my shit. You never knew what she's going to do to it, the crazy bitch" Piper shook her head at the memory of Pennsatuckys odd behaviour "God that girl is fucking weird. Meth really fucked her up. I don't think even Mr Christ can save her now" she let out a small laugh at her own words and then allowed the silence to stretch out between the pair for a second. She wished that Alex would even acknowledge her but the other woman seemed fully engrossed in her work and completely unaware that Piper was even talking. She thought it odd how comfortable she felt sat here with Alex even though there was no two-way communication whatsoever. Being sat only in her bra and trousers wasn't awkward anymore either. She sat happily with her hands down by her side – Alex wasn't even glancing her way so there really was no need to cover herself or feel uncomfortable. She didn't like the silence though. She had hoped that Alex would give up eventually and start talking to her but so far, no luck. Maybe if she tried again….

"I wish I had a book to read" she mused. "It's weird in here. I have the books that I've been sent but they don't seem to interest me any more. I think it's probably something to do with the fact that I have them. I mean, I have them there and they're my only options so I want something different. I don't know. I burrowed a Patterson from the library but I couldn't get into it. I need to pick something else u – Ah!" Piper was abruptly cut off by a book being tossed directly at her, hitting her shoulder and falling to the floor. She'd barely even noticed Alex cross to the other side of the room and pick the book up, let alone see her chuck it over to her with a little too much force.

"If it'll shut you the fuck up, you can read that" Alex told her, looking at her briefly before going back to her work quietly. Piper sat there stunned for a second before getting off the machine and bending down to pick the book up. Turning it over, she saw it was a tattered Oscar Wilde collection. She couldn't even count the times she had told Alex about Wildes' plays and stories. He had been a favourite of hers since she'd seen The Importance of Being Ernest on stage and she had always been convinced that Alex would love him but Alex, stubborn as she always was, had refused to read him. Piper had always been convinced that she'd refused simply to piss her off and was cutting off her nose to spite her face. But here she was with her own dog-eared copy. Her eyes widening a little, Piper looked back up at Alex and contemplated speaking or not. As usual, she decided on yes.

"I was always trying to get you to read Wilde. I recommended him to you thousands of times" she said, her voice a little awed and a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Alex picked up another shirt and folded it neatly. Piper assumed she was going to ignore her words as she had done the entire time she'd been in the laundry room, but Alex hesitated before picking up the next shirt and instead glanced down at her hands.

"I know" Alex said quietly. Piper was sure that she saw a slightly smile at the corner of her mouth but it was gone before it could ever really been seen. Looking down at the book in her hand, Piper stared at the front cover, not opening its pages.

"Did you know Wilde was sent to prison after being accused of sodomy? He died three years after being let out". Alex looked over at Piper.

"I know. Pipes. Read the fucking book and be quiet". Her words were harsh, but her tone wasn't. Piper stared at her for a second, suddenly not able to look away. Eventually, she nodded and began to read and was soon drawn into the world of Dorian Gray once more. Alex, occasionally glancing over to watch Piper, moved around her and finished her work.

Piper wasn't sure how long she'd been reading but it wasn't until the machine beeped finished that she looked up from the book and rubbed the crick out of her neck. All of the laundry that had been thrown into baskets was now neatly piled against one wall and the floors appeared to have been cleaned. Alex was clearly nearly finished for the day. Closing the book, she placed it down on the top of the machine and stood up, leaning back against the washer and watching Alex as she emptied the contents of the dryer into a basket.

"I'll just get yours for you..." she said absentmindedly, searching through for Pipers top. Finding it easily, she pulled it out, shook it hard to brush out the creases and then turned to Piper.

"Thanks so much for this, Alex. I honestly really appreciate it. I don't know what I wou-"

"Piper. It's fine" Piper took the top from her and held it in her hand, feeling the warmth of the dryer quickly cooling off of the thin material. Silence wrapped around them. The two women stood face to face for what seemed like forever to Piper before Alex broke eye contact and motioned to the top in her hand.

"You might want to put that on. I know you're an exhibitionist and all, but that bra is just…" she glanced down at Piper "_not_ sexy" she finished, shaking her head and crinkling her forehead. Piper let out a small laugh and pulled the khaki top over her head. Alex was watching her intently and there was a smile on her face. Not the barely-there smiles that Piper had seen lately, but a really smile that made Pipers heart jump.

"Thanks again, Alex. Really." there was an awkward pause before Piper stepped past her ex.

"You're welcome"

"Enjoy your book" she told her and began to make her way out of the laundry room. As she reached the door, the sound of her name being called made her turn around.

"Chapman. We're not fucking cool, you know. Don't think this changes anything" Alex told her, arms crossed and an eyebrows raised. Piper felt her heart ache and then sink a little lower in her chest. Instead of saying anything, she just nodded and then turned, leaving the laundry room with the slight hope that despite what she said, the cold Alex Vause may be thawing, if only just a little.

-x-x-x-x-

_So they may not be friends but then again, where would be the fun if everything was plain sailing, hey? Thank you for all the support! I really appreciate your thoughts and feedback! Next chapter soon… _


	4. Chapter 4

After her conversation, if you could call it that, with Alex, Piper realised that it might be time she pay a visit to the prison library. She had been trying to trudge her way through a book that Larry had sent her – in Piper and Larry: The good days – but she'd read it before and the plot was no longer gripping her. Making her way through the corridors, she marvelled at how such little things could make you happy here; a kind word, a nice dinner, the prospect of a new book. Despite everything that was weighing on her mind, the thought of being able to lie on her bunk and immerse herself in somebody else's world was one that made her walk with a cheerier step.

Stepping through the door to the library, Piper was greeted by Tastee, now out of her orange uniform and back into her khaki, with a huge grin and an enthusiastic wave which earned her a reproachful look from Sister Ingles. Tastee shrugged and then disappeared into the science section with an armful of books.

Piper was left revelling in the silence of the library. The prison always had a soundtrack of laughter and arguments and after the constant noise at SHU, it was a welcome change to be able to sit and not have to listen to other people's lives. With a smile on her lips, Piper made her way to the fiction section and began to aimless wander amongst the aisles, her eyes scanning over book titles in the hopes that something would jump out at her. She was never one to read a specific author or genre, instead she very much preferred to judge the book by its cover and title – you never knew when one would surprise you with what was within, after all.

As she turned the corner of one aisle and began to make her way down its other side, dark hair caught her attention. In front of her was Pennsatucky, seemingly looking for something specific amongst the stacks of books. Piper watched for a moment as the younger woman ran her finger down the spine of numerous books, reading their titles aloud quietly to herself with her brow furrowed. Piper could feel the blood boiling within her at the sheer sight of the girl. Her harsh words had been spinning in Pipers head for the last couple of months as she sat in SHU. The thought that Doggett was right, that she didn't deserve love, was one that had haunted her through the endless days and made her temper flare. But then she thought of the girls blood spilling across the snow, the crunch of her facial bones beneath her fingers and the horrifying moments immediately after when Piper had seen exactly what she had done. She didn't think that she'd ever be able to forgive herself for her actions but she also knew that the things Doggett had said would sit in the back of her mind forever, whispering and making her wonder if they were true. Maybe she had been right.

Before she could really realise what she was doing, Piper was striding towards her and leaning against the book shelf directly in front of Pennsatucky.

"How come you're back? What happened to you?" she demanded. Tiffany looked up from the book spines at Piper, blinked, gave a very slight smile, and then turned back to them. Her greeting puzzled Piper. In fact, everything about Pennsatucky had puzzled Piper since she had returned.

"What did they say to you? You couldn't have got away with attacking me" she tried again. She could see Doggetts mouth twitch slightly and she looked like she was trying to hide a frown, but her hood was up, as usual, hiding her face as she leant a little closer to the books stubbornly. Instead of replying, she just tried to walk away from Piper and towards another aisle of books but Piper followed closely behind and once again leant against the shelves, arms crossed.

"I know that something must have been said. Tell me, Tiffany. Did they send you to SHU as well?" Piper was starting to get riled by the lack of response. All she wanted to know was what had happened to Pennsatucky whilst she had been in SHU. With psych on her record, there must have been at least some kind of repercussions for her too. She was sure that they hadn't just patched her up and sent her back into Litchfield. Besides, something had to be the cause of her new reserved attitude.

"Just fucking tell me and I'll leave you alone" Piper finally growled, grabbing Pennsatucky lightly on the shoulder and turning her so that they were facing each other more.

"They didn't say nothing, 'kay? Leave me alone" she frowned up at Piper but there was something in her face that was missing. The hatred was there, sure, but there was no fire behind her words. None of the sass that Doggett usually had in abundance.

"Bullshit". Pennsatucky glared at her, her teeth beginning to grind together and her eyes narrowing. Instead of focusing on Piper though, she picked up a book from the shelf and flicked through it quickly. Piper rolled her eyes.

"They must have done something to knock the rebellion out of you. You're quiet as fuck." Her volume was rising with frustration and she stepped a little closer to Doggett, glowering down at her.

"They didn't do nothin'. I told ya. Now leave. Me. _Alone_" her voice was laced with annoyance but she still didn't rise to Pipers bait. Sighing, Piper shook her head. She didn't believe it for a second.

"Well how long have you been back? How long did it take for them to release you" her eye focused on the scar across the woman's face once again and she had a flash of putting there come to her mind.

"How long?!" Tiffany turned to Piper suddenly, her face barely hiding the anger that was fighting to be released.

"Chapman. I've been looking for you for fucking ages!" Piper turned to see Nicky coming towards the pair, hands deep in her pockets. "What're you doing here? Surely no one taught you to read when you were a kiddy?" Pennsatucky turned her scowl to Nicky but said nothing. "Better not be causing this one any trouble" she nodded her head towards Piper "or I'll have to let a certain someone know" Nicky leant towards Doggett in a conspiratorial way and stage whispered "if you know what I mean" with a wink. Piper watched with confusion as Pennsatuckys eyes widened a fraction before she pulled her hood up further over her head, shoved her hands in her pockets and then sloped off past them.

"Fuck you, Dyke" was mumbled as she passed Nicky. Turning, arms wide open and a huge grin on her face, Nicky called after her

"You're very welcome to, kid! I could teach you a thing or two!" As she turned back to Piper, Nicky slapped her on the shoulder cheerfully and then sat down, back leant against the shelves and arms resting on her knees. Piper joined her.

"What was that all about?" Piper asked.

"What?"

"You know full fucking well. Who is 'a certain someone' and why did Pennsatucky shit a brick?" Nicky paused and looked down for a second. Piper could feel her reluctance but she wasn't going to let this go easily.

"Nichols" she warned. Nicky rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Alright but I shouldn't have said anything in the first place. She'll just go fucking crazy if she knows that nut job has even been talking to you" As soon as she said it, Piper had a feeling she knew exactly who Nicky was referring to.

"Not Alex?" she asked, shaking her head and hoping that she was wrong. Nicky looked up at the ceiling for a moment, not answering.

"Nicky" Piper said sharply, causing Nicky to look at her and throw her head back slightly, giving in.

"Yes, yes it was fucking Vause, okay? She just wanted to know that Pennsatucky wouldn't be sending you crazy again" she told her, her palms facing up and her face not looking impressed at finding herself in this situation.

"She warned her off me?" Piper could feel herself getting pissed and tried to hold down her anger. "Why the fuck would she do that? She'll barely even look at me, she's so _offended_ by the sight of me" Nicky shrugged.

"I don't know what goes on between you two in your dyke drama. I just sit back and watch, trying not to get involved" Piper glared at her. "Which apparently isn't working out so well for me". Piper said nothing for a moment, looking at Nicky and biting the inside of her lip with annoyance. It took her a moment to set things straight in her mind. Alex, the same Alex who had told her to never come to her again, that nothing had changed and she was still pissed at her, had taken it upon herself to warn Doggett away from her. Piper knew that Alex had a fiercely protective streak about her and Piper had always managed to bring that out in her but that had been when they were together. That had been when they were on _talking terms. _It was because of Alex that Piper was in this god forsaken place and now she had decided to go behind Pipers back and, what, look out for her? Threaten and intimidate people on Pipers behalf because she thought Piper wasn't big enough to handle herself? This was bullshit. Piper was absolutely fuming. She had no fucking right and she was going to fucking well hear about it.

Getting to her feet, Piper said nothing to Nicky as she stormed out of library and towards the laundry room. Nicky, not expecting the sudden movement, jumped up behind her but was too slow to catch Piper and instead watched as she disappeared around the corner. Running a hand through her wild curls, she frowned.

"Fuck".

This wasn't going to be pretty.

x-x-x-x-x

_Thanks again for all your support! I'm really glad you seem to be enjoying it! It really makes me want to keep on truckin' with this fic. There probably won't be an update for a couple of days because I'm going away, but hopefully the thought of a bit more Vauseman will keep you coming back for more! ; ) _

_x_


	5. Chapter 5

With fury blinding her, Piper pushed past the inmates milling around in the halls and headed straight down to the laundry room, stopping only to poke her head into the rec on her way past in case she was in there. She wasn't. Taking a breath in an attempt to calm herself, she continued on her way and took the left turn to the laundry room.

"Alex" she called out as she entered, arms crossed over her body and a frown firmly in place. When no answer came, she called her name again and made her way around the room, but there was no sign of the dealer. Piper stopped for a moment and thought about what she was doing. She knew that this was going to end in an inevitable argument but at this moment in time, she really didn't care. All she cared about was giving Alex a piece of her mind and letting her know how out of order she was. And _boy_ was she out of fucking order.

The next place she thought to look was Alex's cubicle. It was before dinner when the girls had a bit of time to themselves if they weren't working and so her feet guided her up to the subs whilst her mind lingered on the thought of Alex laying down her threats to the meth head crazies. Before even realising she was there, Piper found herself stood in the entrance of Alex's bunk staring over at her as she sat on her bed, knees up close to her chest, reading a book. Without looking up to acknowledge her, Alex continued reading. It wasn't until she finished her paragraph and it had become clear that Piper wasn't going to say anything that she glanced up at the woman stood staring daggers at her.

"Are you going to stand there glaring at me or are you going to tell me what the hell I've done this time." Piper shifted her weight.

"What the hell do you think gives you the right, Alex? Who told you that it was okay for you to go around, handing out threats on my behalf?" There was a moment of confusion as Alex didn't know what the hell Piper was talking about, but she soon cottoned on and glanced down briefly at her hands before returning her gaze to Piper.

"Pennsatucky"

"Yeah, fucking Pennsatucky, and all her little meth head friends. You won't even talk to me and yet you take it upon yourself to become my personal body guard?" Piper let out a small mirthless laugh and shook her head slightly. "Jesus, Alex".

"Oh, come on. Piper. Look at you! You can't look after yourself" waving a hand up and down to indicate Piper, she continued, her voice seemingly trying to hide her slight amusement "You'd get the shit beaten out of you if they were to try again"

"That's absolutely _nothing _to do with you" Pipers hands were spread out palms up and her voice was steadily getting louder as their conversation developed.

"That is _everything _to do with me! Alex burst out, the amusement completely gone from her voice and her tone taking Piper back for a second. The open book in her hands was slammed shut with a bang and Piper couldn't help but notice Wilde's name looking up at her. The sudden quiet was cold water over them both and they each took a moment. Alex ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath, leaning her elbows on her knees and resting her head in her palms. Piper let out a sigh and took a tentative step into the cubical. She seemed to think about her actions for a second and then sat herself carefully on the end of Alex's bed. Looking over at Alex, Piper felt herself calming and her anger leaving her as she was faced with how they had come to this.

"What's happened to us?" she asked quietly, her voice laced with sadness. Alex turned to look at her and swept her glasses of her face and on top of her head. She shook her head slightly and gave a tiny shrug of her shoulder.

"I don't know" was all she said.

Silence. And then;

"I heard what they were planning to do to you, Pipes. I'm pretty sure that they wanted me to know. They'd talk about it in the laundry room as loudly as they could, making more and more elaborate plans to hurt you. Jesus, they had you ready to be slaughtered and sacrificed."

"I can look after myself, Alex. I don't need you holding my hand and watching me all the time" Alex studied her face, her eyes scouring over her and searching her eyes before she cocked an eyebrow slightly.

"Don't you?"

"No I fucking don't." She snapped back, her words coming out harsh. Alex gave her a wry smile.

"Well last time you tried to handle yourself it didn't exactly work out great, did it" Piper felt her famous temper flaring again but she fought to hold it down.

"It's made me a stronger person" she said simply. Alex scoffed quietly.

"Yeah. Sure it has" she muttered under her breath as she ran a hand through her long hair, pushing it away from her face.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Piper was impressed at her ability to keep her blazing anger out of her voice and Alex clearly didn't detect it as she looked back to Piper with an eye roll and a small smile playing at the corner of her lips – she often misread Pipers anger thinking that the situation was less serious than it was and it was a habit that Piper remembered had been the cause of many a heated argument.

"Oh, come on, Pipes. You beat the shit out of one person and sat rotting in SHU for how long? It may have changed you but it doesn't mean that you're ready to take on the world and her wife. You still need someone to keep an eye out for you and you always fucking will" Piper stared at her blankly.

"And you're that person? My 'guardian angel' looking out for me?" Alex remained silent, instead shrugging with a smug smile on her face a little too reminiscent of Nicky for Pipers liking.

"Well I can tell you, you're fucking not. You have no right, Alex. You have tried to avoid me the best you possibly fucking can ever since I got back to this god-awful place and when I finally think I'm breaking through to you and you're going to start treating me like a human being again, you turn around and tell me nothing's changed and you want nothing to do with me. _Then_ I find out that you're, what? Trying to protect me from afar? How very fucking gallant of you Alex. Well I don't need you looking out for me and I don't need to be constantly on the edge of my fucking seat wondering if I'm going to upset you or piss you off or annoy you by being in the same fucking room as you".

Piper stopped to take a deep breath and calm herself. Alex didn't say anything, just sat and stared quietly as the blonde composed herself. She knew she wasn't done, probably far from it. When Piper has something to say, she usually let all her feelings and emotions pour out and it was best for her to wait and let her finish. Instead, she reaching up and pulled her glasses back down onto her face and then continued to wait, looking at her ex through the thick rims.

Piper let out a sigh and continued, her voice sadder than before.

"I've had it with watching each and every one of my steps to make sure that I'm not stepping on your toes. Yes, I know that I hurt you" she paused, pulling her bottom lip in with her teeth slightly and shaking her head. Her eyes were cast down at her lap instead of looking into Alex's face. "I hurt you so fucking badly and I can see it and feel it every time I slip and allow myself to think about _anything_ because it always comes back to me hurting you and I will never forgive myself, but this? This is bullshit. You need to let me know exactly where I stand with you and you fucking well need to stick to it because I can't keep on like this Alex. It's fucking killing me"

Alex continued to stare quietly at Piper who was now looking up at her, waiting for her to say something. Piper rolled her eyes.

"I've finished. You can talk". Alex looked down at her lap and crossed her legs, fiddling with a hang nail as a way of avoiding Pipers eyes now that they were turned her way.

"I don't know what to say, Pipes. I did what I had to do too stop that crazy bitches coming for you and I'm not sorry for it. I'm not. You think I'm going to sit here knowing that at any moment they could be knifing you in the shower or slipping a razor into your throat? You've already been carted away once, I wasn't going to sit by and let the second time be in a fucking body bag"

"You could have handled it differently"

"How?" Alex shot back, finally looking up to meet Pipers eyes. There was a pause as the two women stared at each other, Pipers mind working a mile a minute and coming up with nothing. She shrugged in defeat.

"I don't know, Alex. That brilliant mind of yours could have come up with something, I'm sure."

"It did" Alex told her bluntly. "I told them if they touch you I'd make sure they met Mr. Christ a lot sooner than expected" Piper ran a frustrated hand over her face.

"Alex. What do you want me to do? Because this half way house bullshit is not going to work for me. You either ignore me all day every day and let whatever the fuck happens, happen. Or you stop with the silent act and the bullshit hard ass crap around me because unfortunately for you, I know that's not really you". Alex shrugged with a small sad smile.

"Maybe it _is_ me now" she said quietly. Piper shook her head and replied instantly.

"It's not" Alex let out a small laugh.

"Alright, for god's sake. I'll not leave a room when you walk in" Alex looked like a petulant child being forced to apologise, but Piper couldn't hold back a small smile.

"It's a start" Alex nodded in agreement. Piper could tell that there was something else she wanted to say and waited patiently for it.

"Are you still with Barry?" she asked quietly. Piper frowned.

"Larr-"

"I know." Piper stopped and looked at Alex who was looking back with a vulnerability in her eyes that Piper hadn't seen there for a long time. It was always a look that had scared her, for if Alex Vause was feeling vulnerable, shit was serious. And, Piper supposed, nothing was more serious than another potential breaking of her heart.

"I'm not with him at the moment, no" she answered quietly. Alex simply nodded.

"At the moment?" she asked.

"At the moment." She confirmed. She had no idea what her status was with Larry; they'd not spoken since she'd got out of SHU but she knew that soon enough they would have to talk. She was sure that he wouldn't want to know that she'd nearly taken the life of another person, but there was always the chance – hope? – that they would be able to sort things out. Until then, Piper had promised herself that she was going to be as honest with Alex as she possibly could.

"Hide whatever you have, girls. Inspection!" Morello put an abrupt end to their talk as she went down the line, poking her head into every cubicle and warning the inmates. Piper turned back to Alex who had one eyebrow raised. She shrugged and the pair both stood up from the bed, not entirely sure what to say to the other. Piper began to make her way back to her bunk but paused as Alex spoke.

"See you around then kid". Piper turned and gave her a half smile.

"Yeah. I guess you will".

_So a little more Vauseman there for you, kids! Thank you for all the amazing support. I really love hearing what you guys think! _

_xx_


	6. Chapter 6

_**This chapter has been updated and edited since I last posted because I was so freaking tired when I first uploaded it that it was riddled with mistakes. Please forgive me. **_

_I am so sorry for the delay in this chapter! I've had uni deadlines and exam and it's all been pretty hectic on this side. I appreciate all the follows, favourites and especially the reviews so much and I really hope that you're all still with me!_ _Exams are nearly over and so I hope to return to business as usual very soon! _

_As always enjoy! _

_x-x-x-x_

Piper stood outside her cubical, hands folded together in front of her as Mendez trashed her little room. The mattress had already been flipped off her bed and Piper couldn't help but grind her teeth a little as she heard a book thump against the wall. And then another. And another. After the final thud, Piper was positively fuming and her hands were now curled into tight fists, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Yoga Jones who stood serenely beside her. Mendez seemed to be taking a particularly long time searching through Piper's half of the cube, sure that she would have contraband, but he eventually had to move on. Exiting the cube, he yelled a loud "CLEAR" in her ear, nodded once at Jones with a smug smirk and then moved onto the next cube. Looking over at her bunk mate, Jones gave Piper a small, calming smile. Piper knew that her bunkie would have some calming words for her as soon as the inspection was over and she wasn't wrong. As the women of the subs began to pick up their things and tidy up their lives again, Piper felt a pair of eyes firmly on her.

"Sometimes it's easy to get agitated by the petty behaviour around you but it's often even easier to give them a smile. It will always set them of guard, Chapman. People don't expect you to be nice, especially not in here. It will confuse them and then you know you've got the upper hand. Being pleasant is easier than revenge. Don't give Mendez the satisfaction." Jones turned and began to sort her blanket out, leaving Piper contemplating her words for a moment. It never failed to amaze Piper how Jones could give advice that applied to any number of situations. Sure, Mendez was a petty bastard who took pleasure in making the inmates lives hell, but wouldn't it be easier to just be pleasant to Alex too? Trying to step around her and avoid her was more draining than she ever thought it could be. Maybe they didn't have to sort everything out now. Maybe they didn't need to talk through all their problems and iron out all the creases immediately. Maybe it should all start with a smile.

"You might be right, Jones" Piper said quietly, turning back to her books that were scattered across the floor. Jones simply nodded.

x-x-x

Piper wandered into the kitchen and glanced around her. It was an area that she had, of course, been in before but not in a work capacity. Much to her surprise, Caputo had called her into his office and told her that she would be working with Red in the kitchen. Gloria was still working there and the two feisty women had come to some kind of bitter agreement that involved them both working together. Neither would admit it, but they had learned an extraordinary amount from each other and the inmates were all grateful for the changes that had been made. Barbs were still thrown, but the pure anger and bitterness was weakening as the pair learnt to work amicably together.

"Ah. Newbie" Red said with a smile as she caught site of Piper looking suitably lost and unsure what to do with herself. "How good are you at cooking?" she asked, beckoning her over to where she stood slicing vegetables. Piper shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. I can make a couple of things". Red smiled her lopsided smile at the blonde.

"Well you won't need to. Do what I instruct and you'll be fine". Piper nodded. She could do that. Red pointed to a giant bag of carrots and a knife and waited for Piper to get to work.

"Come on, girl. Don't just stand there looking retarded". Pipers eyes widened slightly.

"Ohh" she breathed, before picking up the knife and beginning on the never ending tide of orange.

It didn't take long for Piper to get into the swing of things in the kitchen. It was kind of nice actually. They were allowed to have the radio on which they weren't allowed in the workshop, and the chatter between the Spanish girls was priceless entertainment- when they were speaking in English, that was. Although she had a small understanding of Spanish, they girls chatted away so quickly that a large percentage was lost on Piper. She never realised just how much those girls gossiped, and she kept a constant ear on them as they discussed every kind of drama going on in the prison, some of which was about people Piper had never even heard of. They switched fluently between English and Spanish, apparently not even realising at times and Piper listened with fascination as she cut up the carrots and then the potatoes systematically. A couple of times, she saw them glance in her direction and she was sure Alex and herself were mentioned, but she figured that they weren't the only ones talking quietly about her in the prison and there was nothing she could do about it but keep her head down and stay out of trouble.

Daya stayed oddly quiet as the girls talk, earning her her fairshare of glances and frowns. Now heavily pregnant, the rumour mill wasn't short of stories about who the father was and what she was going to do with the baby – Piper had heard everything up to a distant cousin in England looking after it until Daya was realeased. And as for the father, there wasn't a single guard that hadn't been discussed at one point or another, but it pretty much boiled down to Bennett or Mendez. Obviously.

Piper was so focused on her work and listening to the talk of the girls that she didn't realise Daya was stood beside her until she heard her speak.

"Are you nearly done with that?" she asked quietly. The timidity of the girl struck Piper and she wondered when it was the spark in Daya had started to go out. Sure, she was glowing but there was such a sadness around her. Piper looked down to the knife in her hand that Daya was indicating.

"Oh. Erm. Yeah nearly. Why?"

"It's the sharpest one we have and I need it to do my work" Daya told her matter-of-factly. Piper nodded.

"I'll just be a minute or two". She expected the girl to wander back to her station until she was done, but no. Daya stayed beside her and watched Piper continue to chop up the last remaining potatoes.

"So how are you?" Piper eventually asked, trying to get of rid of the awkward atmosphere that was swiftly settling between them.

"I've been better"

"Ah. Of course". Silence. "How's the baby?" she worried that it would be too personal, seeing as the women didn't really know each other, but Daya didn't have a chance to tell her to back off - or anything else for that matter.

"Chapman! What the hell are you doing in here?!" Mendez frowned at her in annoyance and then dropped his gaze to the knife in her hand. "Put that down immediately, inmate! We don't want another little situation do we?! Come with me!" Piper looked at him in shock.

"But… I've been assigned to the kitchen" she stuttered, painfully aware of all eyes on her and Mendez. He wasn't having any of it.

"Not likely, Chapman," he scoffed "put it down and _come with me". _Piper sighed and handed the knife to Daya. She gave an apologetic shrug to Red who gave her an eye roll in return, knowing full well how the prison worked by now.

As Piper made her way over to Mendez, the look of questioning concern that he gave Daya wasn't missed but there was no chance to linger on it as he quickly turned and pushed her towards the door and to Caputos' office.

x-x-x-x

Piper would never get over how freaking unorganised this place was. Caputo had seen no problem with her working in the kitchen until Mendez had pointed out that she probably shouldn't be working with knives after nearly killing a person with her bare hands. Caputo had looked blank for a moment before seeming to realise the flaw in his plan.

"Ohh yeah" he sighed, no doubt thinking about the paper work that he would now have to do to change Piper to a different assigned job. Piper had struggled to keep her sigh of exasperation from being audible. Seriously. She had thought it a little odd that she had been assigned to the kitchen, but she didn't realise the fact she would be working with knives and sharp objects had barely been considered at all. It was good to know the staff were so involved with their jobs here…

"Well bring her down to laundry then. Everywhere else has sharp things that she could use as a weapon". The urge to mention she was right there and didn't need to be spoken about as if she weren't was strong, but Piper bit her tongue and settled for an eye roll as Mendez barked a quick "come on" at her and chaperoned her out the office.

"You heard. Laundry. Off you go".

Laundry with Alex.

Fantastic.

x-x-x-x

"My my my, you just can't stay away, can you" Alex smirked at her, folding sheets quickly.

"It's your dazzling personality. I can't resist it" Piper said deadpan.

"You never could" Alex replied with a smirk which soon faded as neither knew what to say next. A moment of silence passed between them before Alex looked up at the blonde again.

"Can I help you?" she asked. "Where's your shit? Throw it over there and I'll sort it in a second." Piper shook her head.

"I'm not here for washing. I've been assigned to laundry". Alex looked at her blankly for a second.

"Oh" she says shortly and then a wry smile falls over her. "Well they really want to make your life hell don't they" Piper let out a small laugh and nodded.

"It's as if it's planned". Neither of the women speak for a second until Piper breaks the silence, painfully aware that a moment too long and the quiet could morph into awkwardness.

"So are you gonna show me what I'm doing or what?"

x-x-x-x

An hour later and Piper had the hang of pretty much everything. Laundry wasn't really an overly complicated task and Alex easily showed her the ropes. The hardest part was avoiding the death glared that she was receiving from Leanne. Tucky had clearly been moved from laundry – Piper didn't know where to – and her little sidekick wasn't too happy about it. But glares and glances Piper could cope with just fine. Folding shirts wasn't the most engaging task but Piper hummed lightly to herself as she worked. She had missed the fact that Alex's head had shot up when she had started humming. It was a habit that she had had ever since Alex had met her, humming whilst she was deep in thought, and the sound of the once-familiar habit had startled the dark haired woman, catching her attention straight away before she went back to work and tried to block out memories that infiltrate her mind.

Piper wasn't sure how much time had passed since, but it didn't seem like long before Nicky made her way down into the laundry room. After a quick explanation as to why Piper was working there in answer to her questioning look, Alex and Nicky retreated to a corner a little bit away from where the girls were working, much to Pipers curiosity. Looking over at them, she saw Nicky leaning against a wall and Alex stood with her arms crossed over her body, a hip casually popped. She couldn't hear what the pair were talking about and she tried not to be too obvious in the fact that she was eavesdropping, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch anything except from Nickys dirty laugh and giggles from Alex.

She hated herself for getting so annoyed at the sound. Their conspiring and secret talk and laughter brought out a pang of jealousy in her that she had so hoped would not appear, but she stubbornly fought it down and tried to ignore their laughter and pretend she didn't care what it was they were talking about.

It didn't work.

"Vause" Leann suddenly barked from over at a dryer she was emptying. Alex looked over at the sound of her name but quickly dismissed Leann.

"Fuck off" she said simply.

"Suit yourself. But they ain't gonna be happy when they find out you ignored this" she said. Alex, Piper and Nicky looked over to what the hick was holding in her hand.

At first Piper wasn't entirely sure it was she looking at. Stepping a little closer to get a better look, she saw that it was some kind of homemade weapon. A sturdy looking lid of some form formed the centre of it and four sharp razors had been melted into it so they jutted out each side dangerously. There had obviously been a lot of time put into ensuring the razors were set into the lid securely and tt was clearly made to inflict some pretty intense damage. But why the hell had it turned up in the bottom of a dryer?

"Holy shit. That's a shuriken" Nicky breathed as the pair came over to get a closer look. At Pipers blank face, she rolled her eyes. "Like a throwing star? They're some Japanese weapon shit. You can hide them pretty well and they can cause some serious damage. You throw em'. Who the fuck made it?" she asked, looking at Alex who shrugged and gave her a "don't fucking ask me" look back.

"Well what are we going to do with it?" Piper asked. Leann was looking at the makeshift weapon as if it were going to bite her. For someone who had been willing to stand guard as she was potentially killed, she sure looked scared of the item in her hand now.

"We gotta get rid of it"

"Yeah. Throw it out so someone can find it and have a little bit of sweet revenge. Great idea" Alex deadpanned.

"We could hand it in" Piper suggested. "Tell them we found it"

"Mhmm. They'll believe that. Next person to piss them off will have this lumped on them. You know what they're like" Nicky quickly shut down the idea. The four women stood in silence for a moment, all eyes trained on the star in front of them. Leann opened her mouth to make another suggestion, but before she could say anything, a voice cut her off.

"Well well well. What is it we have here ladies?". The women exchanged wideeyed looks which quite clearly all said the same thing.

_Oh shit. _

_x-x-x-x-_

_So there's something a little bit different going on now and a plot is finally starting to form! Thank you so much for sticking with me and any thoughts on this chapter would be greatly appreciated if you have a moment! _

_Thank you. _


	7. Chapter 7

_I think that we can all be in agreement that the new series is absolutely incredible! I'm so excited to have Alex back for season 3! Eep!_

_This one should be a little better because I've actually had some bloody sleep! _

_Enjoy_

_x-x-x-x_

"Well well well. What is it we have here, ladies?" the voice came from the doorway. All four women turned to stare at the guard with his hands on his hips and a curious expression on his face.

"What've you got there, inmate?" he asked, walking over to the group and nodding his head towards Leanne.

"Nothing" Leanne lied lamely, her hand going behind her back in a feeble attempt to hide the star. Alex rolled her eyes and Nicky exchanged an exasperated look with Piper.

"Sure looked like something to me". Bennett took a step closer and raised his chin a little in an attempt to exert his power.

"Just fucking show him, Leanne" Alex sighed, pushing the girls shoulder a little, turning her towards Bennett. Leanne seemed confused and lost for a second before letting out an immature grumble and holding her hand out to the expectant guard. Looking down at her hand, Bennett seemed puzzled for a second. He took the makeshift star from her and turned it over, taking in the razors and processing the potential for harm the weapon could have.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, looking to Alex.

"We don't know" she said simply.

"The meth head found it in the dryer" Nicky explained, nodding her head to an offended looking Leanne.

"And I'm supposed to believe that none of you know anything about this? Because it sure looked like you were all conspiring about it to me."

"We got nothin' to do with it" Leanne protested loudly and Bennett gave her a sceptical look. Piper rolled her eyes.

"She really did find it, Sir. We were trying to decide what to do with it. We decided it was best to be honest and hand it in to Mr Healy" Piper offered, trying to diffuse the situation a little. Bennett still didn't seem to believe them, but he looked down at the shuriken in his hands for a second and then studied the four women again. Feeling its weight in his hands for a moment, he pocketed it and stuck his chest out a little.

"Well I'm going to handle this, ladies. You better sort your story out if you don't want to get yourselves in trouble". The four women looked stricken.

"That's bullshit! We don't have anything to do with that rookie piece of shit!" Nicky burst out, earning her a hard look from both Alex and Piper.

"You better watch it, inmate. Or this could be put totally down to you" Bennett warned. Silence passed as the women waited to hear the action that Bennett was going to take.

"Now I know that you've all been in trouble in the past and something like this wouldn't look to good on your records, so how about I make a little deal with you all?" Bennett asked with a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. Alex and Piper exchanged a questioning glance as Nicky crossed her arms and Leanne looked dumbfounded. This wasn't the Bennett that they thought they knew but then again, things were changing rapidly in Litchfield and there was nothing that would surprise the inmates anymore.

"What kind of deal would that be?" Nicky asked, her eyes squinted at the guard and her weight shifted towards him. Checking over his shoulder, Bennett leant in a little.

"How about we don't mention anything ever happened? I keep this from the powers-that-be and you ladies forget that you ever saw anything other than pants and sheets?" Piper looked confused.

"So you're not going to hand it in? And we don't say anything?" she asked, clarifying. Bennett nodded.

"Why would we want to bother them anyway? All it means is I avoid having to carry out extra searches and being told to crack down on you all, and the inmates all avoid the hassle of being questioned day and night about where it came from".

The women were all in agreement. There seemed like no downside to agreeing to Bennett's proposal and besides, he was one of the nicer guards. They all nodded and Bennett gave them a wide smile in return.

"Good choice, ladies" he paused. "Now get back to work!" he called louder. "And Nichols! Don't think I'm not aware you're not supposed to be down here. Back to your section inmate, before I write you up a shot!" Nicky gave Bennett a lazy salute, winked at Alex briefly - an action that didn't go unnoticed by Piper - and followed Bennett out of the laundry room.

Leanne looked as if she'd been punched.

"That's so going to get us in trouble. You can't trust the guards in here. He's gonna say something and we're all gonna be in for it" she rambled, shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously. Alex rolled her eyes at Piper.

"Shut up, Taylor. Get back to your work" Alex told her and then turned back to the laundry waiting to be folded. Leanne looked pissed for a second and then picked up a shirt, moving to the other side of the laundry room where she could be alone and sulk. Piper looked around the room for second, trying to decide if going over and talking to Alex was a good idea or not. She ultimately landed on the conclusion that it probably wasn't, but hell, she was going to do it anyway.

"Hey" she said quietly, sidling up to Alex with as much nonchalance as she could muster. Leaning against one of the machines, she folded her arms across chest. "D'you reckon that's all going to work out?" she asked. Alex glanced behind her to where Piper stood and then focused back on the clothing in her hands.

"I dunno. Bennett's one of the better ones. I'm sure it'll be alright" Alex shrugged. Piper nodded down at her feet, pulling her bottom lip in and chewing on it for a second.

"So…got any plans for later?" She knew the questions was absolutely ridiculous as soon as it left her mouth and by the look on her face, so did Alex. Piper swiped a hand over her face and then looked back up to Alex with what she hoped was an intrigued, rather than mortified, expression on her face.

"Well, I have a thrilling game of scrabble with Nicky planned which will, no doubt, end up in either her or me tipping the board up and then I have a book that I have very little interest in to read". Alex finished the shirt in her hands and tossed it down onto a pile. Turning, she leant against the table, her arms crossed over her, and stared over at her ex. "Look, Piper. I know we're on talking terms and shit now, but you don't have to try so hard" Piper looked embarrassed for a moment and Alex knocked her glasses up her nose.

"I don't know where the line lies with us anymore. We weren't talking at all and I hated that but now we're in some kind of awkward no mans land and I hate that too. Even more so, I guess.". Alex didn't reply instantly, instead shaking her hair out away from her face and pushing her glasses up on top of her head, letting out a sigh.

"There is no line, Pipes. There's never been a line with us and there never will. We're fucked up and there's never going to be any 'rules' that we can follow" she cocked an eyebrow "you should know that by now". Piper let out a small breath of laughter and looked down to inspect her nails, avoiding Alexs' intense gaze as best she could.

"Rules aren't any fun" Piper mumbled quietly, a smile on her lips. It took Alex a second, but she soon got there. The image of a much younger woman, blonde hair long and bohemian, approaching her in a bar flashed before her. Piper had been so different then - more naïve and far more impressionable - but the woman she had approached had also been a far different person to the one who stood in the prison laundry room today. She had been so nervous when she had seen the blonde walking over to her and Alex remembered being so unsure as to whether Piper would slot into her future, but she hoped to God that she would.

"Jesus, we were so young," she sighed. "I couldn't believe the balls you had, coming over to me like that. I was so sure want nothing to do with me after you were punched". Alex let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, well. I never did know what was good for me" Piper said flatly. There was a moment of silence between the pair until;

"Does anyone?" Alex asked, tipping her head to one side questioningly. Piper looked up at her words blankly and then gave her a half smile and an almost uncatchable shrug.

"I guess not".

X-x-x-x


End file.
